Obstinate
by Kiheitai
Summary: He was a daunting task with two legs and six swords and twice as stubborn as she was. Masamune x OC


**Disclaimer: I don't own Sengoku Basara.**

History Lesson Time: A lot of historical events and figures that I will mention in this work of fiction are _inaccurate_. Probably the most inaccurate thing I have ever done in this fiction is the meeting between Date Masamune and his wife Megohime. Instead of being married at 13 and 12 respectively. Megohime is not a medic and I really don't know anything about Tamura Kyoaki or his relationship with his daughter. Anyway, you get the point. There's a lot of historical inaccuracies revolving around the relationship of characters but rest assured, I spend a long time researching Sengoku Jidai culture, including hairstyles, clothing, and of course, etiquette (I was surprised by how different it is from the Edo Period so I suggest you guys give it a read too).

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_**Chapter One:**_

_**Help**_

* * *

"Captain!"

The cries of the men belonging to no other than the Date army echoed across the battlefield, their characteristic yelps and jeers as they headed to battle and treated it like it was a party (under the encouragement of their captain) were replaced by panicked and anguish yells as they all rushed towards their falling leader.

The sound of hooves accompanied their desperate cries. They called out to their captain whom they swore to follow to death, hoping that their voices could reach his state of unconscious and bring him back before he hit the muddy, wet, earth. Such fall did not happen, thankfully, because of his right hand man's actions. The moment Date started to sway on his horse, Kojuro immediately had the sense of jumping off his horse and running towards his captain, and he successfully caught him before he could further add another injury to the one which caused the sudden loss of consciousness.

From the reaction of the man circling around their leader, one could concur that Date Masamune is a very strong man who was fortunate enough to be accompanied by loyal, albeit a bit rowdy, retainers in a time where subordinates plotted behind their masters back in exchange for money or power or both. However, at this time, Date Masamune is unfortunate. Because even one of the strongest men, no matter how many swords he could grasp in his hands, could not win against a lucky bullet that hit him in the chest. The spreading red liquid originating from Masamune's heart made Kojuro very much aware of this fact.

There was no use in debating what to do in this situation. Retreating might be an option none of the Date army liked resorting to do, but right now, their Captain's condition is of utmost importance. Kojuro carried Masamune towards his horse and instructed some of the men to assist him in doing so and the rest to fall back for now. Although reluctant, said men returned to their horses and did as the Right Eye instructed them to do. When Masamune was safety fastened on Kojuro's horse, he followed suit and rode away. Masamune's horse followed them without even needing commands.

It wasn't that hard for Kojuro to catch up to the men, although he was given a considerable amount of delay, it was no problem for his horse to gallop towards the front lines in a short time. The next step would be deciding a route to take. It would be careless to mindlessly retreat to the direction of an enemy territory with Masamune in dire condition. However, north, south, west, east – they were all equally hostile with the Date army. Going back to Ousshu would be useless, by the time they reach their gates, it might be too late. As such, he was left with no other option.

"Men! We're going north!" Kojuro shouted over the sound of the pelting rain and the men replied with a yell as if to say that they heard him.

They course they're taking is en route to the territory of the Tamura clan, a mountainous region with a strong defense network and the least aggressive among all of his other choices. Their close location to the borders of the Date territory also made his choice more advantageous. He could easily send an envoy to their castle beforehand and request for reinforcements as precaution in case the clan decided to be hostile despite their peaceful intentions.

Every moment spent worsened Masamune's condition. Katakura Kojuro's gaze shifted to the sky in a silent prayer that he they could reach their destination before it's too late.

* * *

The Tamura Clan are perfectly aware of the greedy daimyo's surrounding them. In order to maintain their autonomy and territory, they planned to build forty-eight subsidiary castles and outposts around the area mainly to secure their safety. These structures, as well as the mountains that covered them from the Western and Eastern clans, succeeded in protecting the peace that the head of the clan wanted to preserve.

As such, it was easy for one of the retainers to spot the hordes of horses headed towards their direction. The insignia embedded into one of the flags was clear under the early morning light. This retainer mistakenly but logically assumed that the Date clan are on their way to siege their land. As such, he quickly alerted every one of the anticipated attack.

This caused quite the ruckus on the normally peaceful village. Farmers abandoned the plots they were raking in favor of running towards their homes in order to secure their wife and children. The Tamura clansmen were quick to vacate their beds and appeared in the gates in full armor in preparation for battle.

The air on the gate was tense, as if all of the town was holding their breath for the inevitable battle to come, but there was one place in the Tamura territory which is even edgier – and that is in one of the rooms of the Miharu Castle.

It is the place where the Lady of the Castle, the daughter of the current head of the clan, Megohime was kneeling down on the tatami floors in perfect _seiza_. With her long black hair running along her straight back and the idealistic pale skin matching the common standard of beauty for women, she looked like the ideal Japanese woman. The only thing that was out of place at this sight of elegance was the acupuncture needle she was holding in her hands, and the half-naked body of man lying face down in front of her.

That is how she was found early in the morning by her handmaiden, an energetic young woman who speaks too much for her own good.

"Megohime-sama!" The spirited handmaiden cried in a mixture of exasperation and panic, not necessarily because of the normally unpleasant sight of an unmarried woman alone in a room with an unmarried man, but because of her lady's lack of acknowledgement at the sound of the bell that resounded throughout their village just a minute ago.

Mego felt her patient flinch beneath her left fingertips from the sudden noise, and as a result, the pulse she finished altering earlier was made useless. "Quiet Sayo, you're disrupting samurai-dono's treatment." She gently chided, once again searching for the deficient pulse pattern she felt prior her handmaiden's disturbance.

"But, megohime-sama, you must go back to your room! The castle is under attack – and by the Date clan too!"

Despite the urgency coating her handmaiden's tone, Megohime, still as calm as ever, performed the basic treatment by inserting the needles on their appropriate places. Sayo flinched at the sight, she could never get used to the sight of acupuncture treatment despite the countless of times she has seen Megohime doing it.

"The castle is in no immediate danger with our clansmen defending it but this man is, I'm needed more here." Megohime stated, and then addressed her patient. "Be still for another minute, samurai-dono."

Sayo tried to protest even though she knew how stubborn her lady could get when it comes to her medical principles. "B-but—"

Mego turned towards her handmaiden, and there was a hard edge in her tone when she said. "Sayo, are you telling me that I should abandon this patient just to ensure my own safety?"

Sayo knew where this would go if she does not remedy this situation fast. "That's not what I meant _hime-sama_." She held her hands in front of her and shook her head. And in an effort to convince her lady to bid her advice, she tried her hardest in soothing her normally shrill voice. "All I'm saying is that we have to prioritize your safety first."

Megohime looked from her handmaiden and back to her patient. "I cannot do that Sayo. A physician's first priority is their patient." She claimed as she stood up and walked to the nearby cabinet where she stores the herbs that she uses for treating injuries.

This didn't look right for Sayo. As far as she can see, this samurai doesn't have any visible wounds anywhere in his person. She was unable to dismiss the dread she was starting to feel and asked her lady a question although she already knew the impending answer. "What are you doing, Megohime-sama?"

The lady of the castle inserted two boxes containing nearly identical plants into a sheet laid in front of her "Why, preparing for the battle of course! Sayo, could you be a good girl and fetch me another bag. If it's really the Date clan we're up against, then I have a feeling that we're going to need every herb I have in stock."

"_Megohime-sama._" Sayo repeated, burying her face in her palms as Mego maneuvered around the room.

"I thought we already settled this Sayo." Megohime said, kneeling in front of her patient and carefully removed the acupuncture needles on his back. She placed them in a box that she'll dispose of when she goes out later. "Rest for a while samurai-dono. I'll speak to my father about your condition so you do not need to go to the battlefield until you're fully recovered."

Sayo was not the kind of person who thinks before she speaks. So it doesn't come off as a surprise when she accidentally blurted. "But Megohime-sama, you're father has instructed me to keep you safe! He's already heading to the front gates as we speak—"

Sayo closed her mouth before she could say any more about the matter but the damage has been done. A look of aghast made its way on Megohime's face as she thought of her father, who was still recovering illness brought by an infection on a wound he purposely hid from her, partaking in a heated battle with the One-Eyed Dragon despite her keen instructions to avoid physical exertion for the time being.

Megohime nearly dropped the box of horse chestnuts she was holding in her hand.

* * *

Tamura Kiyoaki was generally a level-headed individual with only his village's welfare in heart. Although obdurate in nature, he is actually very kind-hearted. These traits account for his defensive military tactics as opposed to pure aggression in a period of time where domination and sieges takes place left and right and greed for power and territory inspired the hearts of many lords. It is also the reason why Kojuro chose this particular route. He held into the tiny shred of hope that the Tamura Kiyoaki was a man of reason who talked with words before the language of swords.

"In short you are asking me to provide you, the Date Clan who cast aside the amicable friendships built for generations in favor of attacking and conquering the lands of weaker clans, shelter, food, and medicine for your wounded men and leader, even at the cost of you people possibly taking our territory through bloodshed and violence?" It was a statement and more of an accusation under the guise of a question. Although Tamura Kiyoaki kept his tone even and polite, the grave expression on his face reflected his real thoughts on the matter. But at the very least, he hasn't ordered his men to attack.

"It is only a temporary stay by the borders and nothing more." Kojuro explained, determined to stand his ground. "You don't need to worry about medicine or shelter or food, we could provide those on our own. I am merely asking for permission to stay in your territory for a short while."

"And how could we be so sure that you won't attack us in the middle of the night when we're vulnerable or when we've turned our backs at you?"

Kojuro wanted to end this negotiation quickly, but it seems as Tamura Kiyoaki was lives up to his reputation as far as stubbornness is concerned. However, he supposed that this treatment is only fair, given that they feel threatened with their presence, it is only natural for them to be so insistent for their safety. "As you can see, we are in no condition to fight." He gestured towards his wounded comrades and even his leader, who was still unconscious and getting worse by the minute. "Even if we assume that we're stupid enough to attack in an enemy territory when we're terribly outnumbered and with our leader in his current state, then rest assured, you'll be able to win against us easily. Regardless of that, you have my word that we will not attack and peacefully leave the premises of your territory by nightfall."

Showing the state of Masamune proved to be effective, as sympathy briefly flashed in the clan head's eyes before he spoke solemnly. "To see the One-Eyed Demon in such a state, what sort of creature could have harmed a man of his caliber?"

Katakura Kojuro remembered the battle all too well. "An army." He stated, recalling the gunshots that pierced his men's armor and the lucky bullet that hit the great samurai on the chest. "An army of soldiers wielding western weapons."

This caught Tamura's immediate and grim attention. "Western weapons..?"

"We believe a powerful clan is cooperating with the westerners in exchange for weapons and power. If this clan rises to power, then our autonomy as a country would be in greater danger than when it's being fought over by feudal lords."

"Indeed." It was all Tamura said but Kojuro could predict the man's imminent judgment in conclusion to his request. "Very well, you may stay within the borders. However, you must excuse me for having my soldiers keep an eye on you at all times. Betrayal is very common in these dark times you see, and I don't exactly prefer to be on the receiving end of it."

Kojuro released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Behind him, the uninjured men cheered in joy and began assisting the wounded off their horses. "Of course. We are in your debt."

Tamura gave him a nod and turned his back at them, an act displaying his trust on a fellow samurai's word. "Now that that's settled, we should—"

"Father!"

The sound of a young feminine voice rooted the previously stoic head of the clan in his place. Kojuro watched with intrigue as a young woman ran up to them carrying what looks like several bundles of _furoshiki_, her long black hair swaying back and forth as she struggled to run despite the heaviness of the baggage she was carrying and the weight of her _kosode_. This must be the Tamura Mego, the daughter of Tamura Kiyoaki himself. There was a rumor saying that the reason behind her unmarried state despite the lady herself being way past the youngest marriageable age is her unsightly appearance that made potential suitors brutally reject her as their wife.

Seeing her now made Kojuro believe that not all rumors turns out to be true. Megohime was not an unsightly woman. Her hair is long and dark in contrast to her pale skin, she looked like the average noblewoman except she did not possess the painted eyebrows a woman of her rank is expected to have, and the lack of it might have decreased her aesthetic value to the said suitors. There is a notable nonexistence of a multilayered ___karaginu-mo_ typically famous with women in this day and age, and instead she wore a kosode resembling those of common folk save for its bright floral patterns. However, even at the absence of the eyebrows and elaborate clothing, Kojuro could attest to Megohime's unique beauty.

Tamura Kiyoaki narrowed his eyes as the approaching woman came to a halt in front of him and scolded her sternly. "Daughter, I thought I instructed Sayo tell you to stay in your room."

Megohime bowed deeply and held it there for a few seconds before rising back up again. "Forgive my rudeness and disobedience father, but didn't I tell you to avoid battle for another month?"

It was certainly rude to tell that to her _father_. Most noble born girls would be punished to have a tongue that audacious as women are, in more ways than one, supposed to be elegant in speech in order to attract men. Ordering them around, especially your own father, was completely out of question. It didn't seem like Tamura minded his daughter's cheek. In fact, he even looked apologetic about his defiance to her directions. "I have to be in the front lines, Mego, it's my responsibility as the clan's head to prevent casualties in the face of war, but apparently, there's no need for the matter." He explained to her in a manner that no father observes when he talks to his daughter – in fact, most fathers in the noble rank don't have the time or the willingness to talk to their daughters at all in this war-infested era.

Megohime tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Tamura Kiyoaki gestured towards the assembly of the Date Army behind him, and his daughter followed the direction of his gaze. Her searching black eyes immediately caught sight of the injured Date Masamune, and after she set down the bundles she was carrying, she wasted no time in running towards the injured person in need of her help.

She tried pulling Masamune from the horse but her clothing restricts much movement of her arms. Afraid that she might accidentally push his leader of his horse, Kojuro quickly went up to her and aided in pulling him down. Figuring out what she was trying to do before she even spoke of her intentions, Kojuro laid Masamune in front of her as she knelt to inspect the bloodied wound in his chest area. "This is…" She trailed off, looking grim at the sight of the wound after she uncovered the clumsy bandages the men put on him. She turned to her father and cried. "Father, allow me to look after him."

The desperation in her tone did not go unnoticed by Kojuro. "How is he?" He asked. The men, sensing the sudden seriousness of the situation, crowded around their fallen leader in order to know his present state.

"His life is in danger if he is not treated soon. I suspect that his wound is already infected, did it take you a long while to arrive here?"

"We've been riding for several hours."

The lady's eyes widened even more if it was possible. She turned to her father once again, in haste, "Then Father—"

Her distressed pleas were met with a cold inquiry. "This is the One-Eyed Dragon, Date Masamune, that you're taking responsibility for, daughter. His life will be in your hands and that will come with all kinds of risks I don't wish to take. Return to the castle! This is not the time to be stubborn."

"I will not turn my back on a person in need father!"

"But what if he dies under your care? The Tamura Clan would be blamed for this incident and you know how that would go. Are you willing to risk the safety of our village for the sake of this man?" It was a valid argument and both daughter and father knew it. However, as much as Mego didn't want the village harmed, her principles took precedence and before she knew it, she was already walking to retrieve the bundles containing the herbs she brought with her for this very purpose.

She then knelt beside the Date leader once again and began removing the makeshift bandages that effectively prevented too much loss of blood. "He'll die if I don't treat him now." She said in a quiet voice that only Kojuro, who was sitting across her, heard her statement. She then addressed him in a louder tone. "You are Date Masamune-dono's retainers, yes? Help me move him so that I may clean his wound. Send some men to gather water."

The men didn't need to be told twice. They scampered off in search for a river or a stream, all for the sake of their leader's welfare. Kojuro thanked the heavens for blessing Date Masamune with loyal and reliable retainers.

Tamura Kiyoaki watched the scene and sigh. His daughter was too lively for her own good, too obdurate and honorable to consider the weight of her actions.

"Take him to the castle."

Megohime stopped in her tracks and shifted her head to her father. He looks the same as he always do whenever he finally relents to her whims after engaging in a violent battle of wills with her. "Father, did I hear you correctly?"

This time, Tamura Kiyoaki turned his back at them and retreated to the confines of his home, the Miharu castle which is located at the very heart of the village. As he was walking, he confirmed her inquiry when he said. "Are you just going to sit there and gawk at me or are you going to treat this man like you promised?"

A large smile appeared on Megohime's face as she bowed deeply to her father's retreating back in gratitude. "Thank you father." And with new found found determination, she faced Kojuro and gave him the delayed bow of greeting she was customarily supposed to do and introduced herself. "My name is Tamura Mego, I can treat your leader's injuries if you'll let me. I'm a trained physician, I treat all people in need regardless of their clan and their allegiances. You have my word."

He didn't expect his escape plan to work out the way it did, he could never be thankful that he chose to take the route to Tamura instead of another. "Very well. Take care of him."

* * *

**seiza - the traditional way of sitting in Japan. It's that kneeling thing that could kill your feet if you stay in that position for long. Seriously, how does the women back then do it?  
****furoshiki - wrapping cloth where you put stuff in. It's mostly used for clothes in the onsen, but it became wildly used for transport of goods or gifts. I don't know how they do it in Sengoku Period sooooo...  
kosode - it's a japanese robe for men and women. It's worn as an undergarment for upperclass people and overgarment for common folk. It's kind of like the prototype of kimonos  
karaginu-mo - really really stunning japanese attire for court ladies and upperclass women. It's stuffy and heavy and I have no idea how people could walk on that.  
**

**I should probably list some facts that I incorporated into this story. Yes, it's true that the Date was feared during this time under Masamune's rule. They even kidnapped his father for it, and it turned ugly. The Tamura Clan indeed built 48 subsidiary castles and outpost as defense against attacking troops. Horse chestnut is used to wash wounds in ancient japan.**

**I have no knowledge of acupuncture techniques prior to this so I'm basing everything I know from what I researched on the internet. Man, writing a proper fic for this anime takes a long time and approximately 10 pages in google search. Seriously.**

**Ah so what do you think of the story? What do you think of the Megohime of this story? Constructive criticisms are always welcome so please review and make this woman happy.**

**Please? :D**


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